Adolescent early death perception: links to behavioral and life outcomes in young adulthood.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in adolescent perception of risk for early death over time and behavioral and life outcomes in young adulthood.

Methods: This is a secondary data analysis of 7202 respondents participating in waves 1 (1995), 2 (1996), and 3 (2001-2002) of the in-home interviews from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine the predictive ability of adolescent early death perception at waves 1 and 2 on young adult outcomes of health risk, human capital, and prosocial development, and fitness at wave 3.

Early death perception in adolescence: identifying factors associated with change from pessimism to optimism about life expectancy.

US teens overestimate risk for early death. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with an adolescent's change from early death perception to a belief in living into adulthood. Data are from 9140 adolescents participating in waves 1 (1995) and 2 (1996) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

Individual, interpersonal, and relationship factors predicting hormonal and condom use consistency among adolescent girls.

Introduction: Few existing studies have considered influences of adolescents' sexual partners on contraceptive consistency. This study examines the influence of personal characteristics, partner characteristics, and relationship factors on consistency of contraceptive use among an ethnically diverse sample of adolescent girls at high risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Method: Data are from 110 sexually active 13- to 17-year-old girls participating in a clinic-based intervention study aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors.

Adolescent perception of premature risk for death: contributions from individual and environmental contextual factors.

Objective: Adolescent perception of premature risk for death is a cause of great concern. This study identified individual and environmental characteristics of youth expressing perception of premature risk for death.

Methods: Data are from Waves 1 (1995) and 3 (2001-2002) of the in-home interviews from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

From adolescent connections to social capital: predictors of civic engagement in young adulthood.

Purpose: This study examined the ability of adolescent connection in family and community contexts to promote an aspect of healthy youth development and transition into adulthood, civic engagement.

Methods: Data are from Wave 1 (1995) and Wave 3 (2001-2002) of the in-home interviews from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The sample for this study included 9130 young adults aged 18-26 years.

Protective factors in the lives of bisexual adolescents in North America.

Objectives: We compared protective factors among bisexual adolescents with those of heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, and gay or lesbian adolescents.

Methods: We analyzed 6 school-based surveys in Minnesota and British Columbia. Sexual orientation was measured by gender of sexual partners, attraction, or self-labeling.

Associations between health screening questions and sexual risk behaviors in adolescent female clinic patients: identifying a brief question format to yield critical information.

This study examines the ability of brief screening questions to identify adolescent girls at high risk for sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy. Participants included 103 sexually active 13-year-old to 17-year-old girls recruited from adolescent clinics who (1) were identified as at risk for negative sexual health outcomes through responses to an 8-item Health Screening Survey, and (2) returned to clinic within 2 weeks to complete a self-report survey about sexual risk behaviors and contraceptive use. Analyses examined relationships between girls' total screening scores, individual screening survey items, and 5 self-reported sexual risk behaviors.

Hazards of stigma: the sexual and physical abuse of gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents in the United States and Canada.

Some studies suggest lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teens are at higher risk than peers for violence at home, in school, and in the community. That can bring them into the child welfare system or services for runaway and homeless teens. This study compared self-reported experiences of sexual and physical abuse based on sexual orientation and gender in seven population-based surveys of youth.

Measuring sexual orientation in adolescent health surveys: evaluation of eight school-based surveys.

Purpose: To examine the performance of various items measuring sexual orientation within 8 school-based adolescent health surveys in the United States and Canada from 1986 through 1999.

Methods: Analyses examined nonresponse and unsure responses to sexual orientation items compared with other survey items, demographic differences in responses, tests for response set bias, and congruence of responses to multiple orientation items; analytical methods included frequencies, contingency tables with Chi-square, and ANOVA with least significant differences (LSD)post hoc tests; all analyses were conducted separately by gender.

Results: In all surveys, nonresponse rates for orientation questions were similar to other sexual questions, but not higher; younger students, immigrants, and students with learning disabilities were more likely to skip items or select "unsure.

Violence perpetration among urban american Indian youth: can protection offset risk?

Objective: To predict the likelihood of violence perpetration given various combinations of the most statistically salient risk and protective factors related to violence perpetration.

Design: Urban Indian Youth Health Survey, conducted from October 9, 1995, to March 30, 1998, consisting of 200 forced-choice items exploring values, cultural identity, relationships, decision-making skills, and health and well-being.

Setting: Urban schools and an after-school youth development program at an urban American Indian center.